Kobe and clutch: http://www.respectkobe.com/?p=54#comment-5875

An older series of articles on Kobe’s shooting patterns over a year. Noted before, but still worth a look if you haven’t seen it before (lots of statistics).
http://www.littlewhitestatistics.com/?cat=7

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RxFRMfn8Vw

I have to admit though that I haven’t noticed this one yet. I’ll have to check out this pattern in some other games they play in the future.

On the HOF: Pierce and Allen were well on their way to getting in before the championship in Boston and if Pau retired today, he’d be in too. Pierce and Allen both have career numbers that put them on pace for the Hall and were making the All-Star game pretty much every year. Seems like a silly thing to measure Hall of Fame likeliness by, but 8 All Star games pretty much makes you a lock and they had both been in a conference Finals previously. Plus Allen might go down as the best three point shooter ever. The precedent for scorers like them would be someone Wilkins or English. Nique never even got out of the second round, actually. Somebody already mentioned Pau’s international credentials that will get him in (just like Manu). Another guy that people don’t realize is likely Hall of Fame bound is McGrady. He’s made 7 All NBA teams and led the league in scoring multiple times. Even without a first round victory, every player that’s reached those benchmarks has been inducted and it doesn’t hurt that when people look back, McGrady’s playoff numbers are actually some of the best of all time.

I personally cannot understand why the league has not issued him a warning or at least come out and at least stated that they are monitoring the situation.
hard-pressed then to police his antics.

While we are on the same subject, has anyone else also noticed how the Celtics bench routinely disrupts players who are trying to shoot jumpers/3′s right in front of them? This was common place in the finals and, as now, the league did nothing.

I tell ya, the league’s lack of action is going to lead to one of these high profile players getting decked or hurt in retaliation.

People knock Kobe for his arrogance, but he would *never* denigrate another player like that. He’s content with knocking down a big shot when it counts and wagging his finger at the crowd. We don’t know what KG’s reaction would be to knocking down a big shot because, well, the next time he hits one will be the first.

For years we admired Shaq and his physicality while every single fan base of our opponents thought that he got away with entirely too much and that he got special treatment from the refs. For over a decade most of us have defended Kobe as a player and a teammate when half the fans of the league think we’re delusional.

So, while I can see why KG’s on court persona would upset people, I think the best way to end that stuff is to beat his team or intimidate him right back (or preferrably both).

However, just to play devil’s advocate, I wonder how perturbed we’d all be if he HADN’T become a member of our hated rivals and defeated us in last year’s Finals.

All that “intensity” was something to be admired when KG was perceived as a lovable loser, but I can’t help thinking our taking umbrage at this late stage smacks of sour grapes.

Then again, he is coming across like a total dick lately …